Floor scrubbing machines of the type with which the present invention is concerned typically include at least one scrub brush mounted beneath the machine and capable of being moved by an operator (either manually, as by foot pedal, or power-assisted) between a lowered use position and a raised, transport/storage position. The brush is driven by a motor energized typically, by batteries. A source of cleaning fluid supplies the fluid to the floor or directly on the brush for scrubbing and cleaning the floor. The dirty or “spent” solution is recovered by a squeegee following behind the brush and the spent solution is removed by suction. The spent solution is stored in the machine until it is discarded, normally in a janitor's closet or the like, and the solution tank is refilled with clean solution.
Although the instant invention is not so limited, the disclosed embodiment is directed to a machine with only one brush, and for simplicity, the rear squeegee is not shown, nor are the details for delivering the clean solution and storing the spent solution because these subsystems may be conventional and do not form an essential part of the improvement of the present invention. Such conventional machines may include a circular scrub brush which is operated (typically, mechanically, by the operator's stepping on a foot pedal) between a raised (storage or transport) position, and a lowered use position. When the brush is lowered to the use position, a “run” switch is manually actuated by the operator to energize a drive motor coupled to the brush for scrubbing action.
Floor maintenance is achieved by means of the type of machine described above. Proper floor maintenance can be broken down into three broad categories which relate to the frequency, cost and labor intensity of the types of maintenance procedures. The first category involves routine floor maintenance consisting generally of dust mopping, cleaning, scrubbing or damp mopping, and burnishing or spray buffing. The goal of these activities is to improve day to day appearance of the floor, and to reduce recoating frequency and stripping frequency. The second category is restorative maintenance and involves scrubbing and recoating. The purpose of restorative floor maintenance is to reduce floor yellowing, avoid the build-up of seal and finishing layers, reduce stripping frequency, and remove imbedded dirt. Finally, the third category is renovation maintenance and involves stripping all of the layers of deposited material down to the floor surface followed by the application of sealing and finishing layers. The present invention is directed to the restorative phase of floor care in that it employs a modified scrubbing program with limited recoating and which allows for a reduction in floor stripping frequency.